Aunt’s lawyers say Connecticut law forced her to sue nephew

Published 12:37 pm, Wednesday, October 14, 2015

HARTFORD >> Lawyers for a New York City woman who sued her 12-year-old nephew for injuring her while excitedly greeting her say Connecticut law forced her to go to court over her medical bills.

A jury on Tuesday rejected Jennifer Connell’s lawsuit seeking $127,000. She says she broke her wrist when the Westport, Connecticut, boy jumped into her arms at his eighth-birthday party, causing her to fall.

Connell’s law firm says her nephew’s parents’ insurance company offered her $1 and she had no choice but to sue to pay medical bills. They say she was never looking for money from him.

Peter Kochenburger is an insurance law specialist at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He says state law typically requires those claiming injury to sue the individual responsible.